An Evening with Old Friends

Let's be clear, by "old" I mean long-time friends, not OLD friends :)  Tonight we had the privilege of spending time with some dear friends over a homecooked meal.  I ask you, is there anything better?  I love catching up with friends I haven't seen in a long time and hearing all about their life.  And tonight, I especially loved seeing Rachel and Jared's beautiful children!  It's crazy to think that something as innocent as 2 friends that hung out in the same "circles" 15 years ago turned into marriage and 3 wonderful kids!  Rachel and I were best friends in high school.  I'm pretty sure we did absolutely everything together!  And BONUS, she was my neighbor too, so we just had a ball together all the time!  Jared entered our world shortly after and spent his remaining high school years with us, and before we knew it, they were saying "I Do" and he was whisking her off to the opposite side of the country (for nearly 10 years!!!).  But God has brought them back to North Carolina (Raleigh, in fact) and now I get to see them almost any time I want!!!  It's truly fabulous and I am so very excited to have them back!

Tonight was our long-awaited reunion dinner.  While planning our menu, I thought to myself . . . these folks have been in the north (Washington state) for too long, it's time to reacquaint them with sweet southern goodness :)  So we had a feast of rosemary chicken, collard greens, pepperjack macaroni and cheese, roasted parmesan potatoes, sweet corn bread, watermelon, and sweet tea.  It was delish and thoroughly enjoyed by all :)

Mmm Mmm Good!

And The Countdown Is On . . .

As you are aware, 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday!  From the music to the food, it's by far one of the biggest days of the year for me!  In recognition of my uncontained excitement, I decided to wear red, white, and/or blue every day during the week leadng up to the 4th.  Each day I'll hop onto the blog and post that day's outfit to keep you in the loop (in hopes of adding a little to your own holiday excitement!).  So here you go:

Monday:

white pencil skirt (Marshalls), blue linen shirt (LOFT), red cardigan (LOFT),

& blue/white striped ballet flats (GAP)

(PS - this picture was taken at the very end of the day, hence all the wrinkles and tangly looking hair!)

Tuesday:

 khaki trousers (Banana Republic), navy silk blouse (Banana Republic), red/white polka dot scarf (H&M), brown leather peep-toe wedges (Nine West)

Wednesday:

white eyelet dress (LOFT), navy blue cardigan (Ann Taylor), red crocodile ballet flats (Wally World)

(PS - My friend, Jenn, totally surprised me by decorating my workspace for the 4th of July!!!)

Thursday:

navy trousers (Banana Republic), burgandy satin blouse (The Limited), jumbo pearls (Forever 21), navy strappy sandals (Rack Room Shoes)
(PS - Meet my BOA office peeps!  They were all so supportive of my love for this holiday that they all wore patriotic colors just for me!  A lot of the details can't be seen in this picture - accessories like jewlery or nail polish (lol) and of course shoes!  Aren't they fabulous ladies?!)